Instant Pot Salmon Dinner (from Frozen!)

Use your electric pressure cooker to make this easy and delicious Instant Pot Salmon dinner in under 20 minutes from FROZEN salmon fillets! Recipe developed in partnership with Tastefully Simple, Inc.

Things have been feeling even busier lately. Maybe because my kids are getting older and they have more activities and things after school? Either way, I just feel like I need to find more time during the week and especially at dinner time!

Enter the InstantPot.

I have been trying to use my electric pressure cooker more strategically; batch cooking, cooking multiple things at the same time and for sauteeing and then cooking to eliminate using multiple pots.

This Instant Pot Salmon Dinner is the result of a bunch of experimentation.

Trying to figure out how to cook frozen wild salmon fillets in the Instant Pot AND making some kind of starch at the same time that would match cooking times.

After playing around with it, I found the magic combination of frozen wild salmon fillets and basmati rice. They have the same cook time, which makes this an amazing all-in-one-pot weeknight meal that is ready in under 20 minutes!

The secret sauce here is actually the sauce – a quick balsamic vinaigrette I made using Tastefully Simple‘s Avocado oil, Aged Balsamic Vinegar of Modena, Spinach & Herb Seasoning and a pinch of salt and crushed red pepper flakes.

You will (and should!!) be putting this dressing on everything!

I am partnering with Tastefully Simple for the rest of 2019 to create gluten-free recipes showcasing some of their spice blends, oils, vinegar and more!

If you aren’t familiar, Tastefully Simple products are all FREE from artificial colors, flavors, preservatives, sweeteners, and hydrogenated fats.

They have so much more than just oils and spices including baking mixes (both sweet and savory!), drink mixes and even meal kits.

What type of Salmon is best?

Wild Salmon! Wild salmon has a better ratio of healthy fats than farmed salmon and contains more minerals. Farmed salmon is higher in bad fat and fed an unnatural diet of processed feed to make the salmon larger for sale. Food coloring is sometimes added to mimic the natural deep red color that wild salmon develop. Farmed salmon can also contain antibiotics and other toxic contaminants.

How to cook frozen Salmon in the Instant Pot?

This recipe is based on using two 6-ounce portions of wild salmon that is approximately 1.5″ thick. Add water and steaming rack. Place frozen salmon on the steaming rack with seasoning and lemon. Set to 5-minutes high pressure and allow for a 2-minute natural pressure release, then immediate quick release.

If the frozen salmon fillets are very thin (less than 1″ thick), you may want to eliminate the 2-minute natural pressure release and just do a quick release.

If the frozen salmon fillets are very thick (more than 2″ thick), you may want to add an additional minute or two to the natural pressure release to make sure the middle is properly cooked.

Do I have to use Basmati Rice?

For this recipe, YES. I tested this with Jasmine Rice and Brown Rice but the cook times don’t match up and the rice will be undercooked. Basmati rice (that is well rinsed!) will come out perfectly with this cook time.

How long can I keep the dressing for?

You can keep the leftover dressing in the refrigerator for up to one week.

So, let’s get cooking!! I know you are going to L O V E this Instant Pot Salmon dinner. I can’t wait to hear from you after you make it!

Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!

Instant Pot Salmon Dinner (from Frozen!)

Prep Time: 3 mins

Cook Time: 7 mins

Pressurizing Time: 7 mins

Total Time: 10 mins

 

Use your electric pressure cooker to make this easy and delicious Instant Pot Salmon dinner in under 20 minutes from FROZEN salmon fillets! 

Course: Mains

Cuisine: American, Mediterranean

Keyword: easy, healthy dinner, how to cook frozen salmon, Instant pot salmon dinner, salmon and rice

Servings: 2 servings

Calories: 962 kcal

Author: Alyssa Brantley

5 from 21 votes

Print

Ingredients

• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 Tablespoon Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil
• 1 cup basmati rice rinsed until clear
• 2 6-ounce frozen wild salmon fillets NOT defrosted
• 1 pinch kosher salt and black pepper
• 1 small lemon sliced into rounds
• 3 cups mixed salad greens divided

Vinaigrette:

• 4 ounces Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil
• 2 ounces Tastefully Simple Balsamic Vinegar of Modena
• 2 teaspoon Tastefully Simple Spinach & Herb Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Pour 1 cup plus 2 T filtered water into the Instant Pot insert. Add a pinch of kosher salt, 1 T Tastefully Simple Avocado Oil and 1 cup well rinsed (until the water runs clear) Basmati Rice.

   

2. Insert stainless steel steam rack (that comes with Instant Pot) and place FROZEN wild salmon fillets on rack.

   Sprinkle each with a pinch of kosher salt and black pepper and place two slices of lemon on each fillet.

   Set to manual, high-pressure for 5 minutes (make sure to check that your silicone ring is properly inserted in the lid!).

   It should take 7 to 8 minutes to come to pressure.

   

3. In the meantime, make the vinaigrette for the salad and fish in a glass jar with a tight-fitting lid.

   Combine all ingredients listed for vinaigrette in a glass jar, place on the tight-fitting lid and shake for 60 to 90 seconds until well combined. 

4. Allow for a 2-minute natural pressure release and then immediate quick release.

   Plate cooked salmon on top of a generous handful of mixed greens and alongside 1/2 cup cooked rice.

   Top rice with a sprinkle of the Spinach & Herb Seasoning and drizzle Salmon and greens with 2 T of the vinaigrette. 

   Store leftover rice and vinaigrette for another meal and Enjoy!

   

Recipe Video

NOTES:

• I used a 6-Quart Instant Pot but I think any size will work. Just note that the pressurizing time may change slightly with a different size pot.
• The nutrition information is based on the serving size (one 6-oz salmon fillet, 1/2 cup cooked rice and 2 T vinaigrette). You will have leftover rice and vinaigrette. If you consume additional rice or vinaigrette and are counting macros, please use the ingredients listed to figure out your individual numbers for accuracy.
• This recipe is intended for FROZEN salmon fillets only. If you use fresh or defrosted fillets, they will be overcooked as they only need about 3 minutes of high pressure cook time.

Nutrition Facts

Instant Pot Salmon Dinner (from Frozen!)

Amount Per Serving (1 salmon fillet, 1/2 cup cooked rice, spring mix and 2 T vinaigrette)

Calories 962 Calories from Fat 666

% Daily Value*

Fat 74g114%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 93mg31%

Sodium 1282mg56%

Potassium 1093mg31%

Carbohydrates 35g12%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 5g6%

Protein 37g74%

Vitamin A 780IU16%

Vitamin C 42.6mg52%

Calcium 87mg9%

Iron 3.1mg17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.

DISCLOSURE:  This post is part of a series of posts sponsored by Tastefully Simple. Tastefully Simple has compensated me for my time to develop this recipe. Thank you for supporting the brands that make EverydayMaven possible. All opinions are my own.